This invention relates to novel and improved chocks; and more particularly relates to a mountain climbing chock as well as its use in combination with a carabiner in such a way as to establish firm wedging engagement in various cracks or crevices encountered in mountain climbing.
In mountain climbing, chocks are employed as temporary anchors for mounting climbers in various different sizes and shapes of cracks or crevices. Generally, the climbing rope is affixed to the chock by one or more carabiners in such a way as to facilitate positioning of the chock in a crack so that the weight of one or more climbers can be suspended from the climbing rope by means of the chock. Particularly in climbing steep cliffs or walls the need for a chock which will establish firm wedging engagement in a crack or crevice and will facilitate placement in a rapid positive manner will be readily apparent.
Various types of chocks have been devised for use in mountain climbing, such as, the Chouinard "Hexentric" Chock and the Forrest wedge-shaped chock which have probably been found to be most effective in the past for normal chock placement; i.e. any tapered or parallel side cracks or crevices encountered. Nevertheless, the above and other chocks commercially available have lacked the versatility and conformability required for efficient and dependable placement in all varieties of cracks or crevices encountered. For example, flared cracks are often encountered in which the crack narrows from the face of the rock inwardly; also piton scars left by other mountain climbers generally leave a square opening. In any event, the configuration of the particular crack or crevice which the mountain climber might desire to utilize for placement of the chock may be virtually of an infinite variety of specific shapes and sizes, as a result of which there is a very real need for a chock which will assure positive and secure wedging engagement notwithstanding such variations. In this relation, it should be borne in mind that the mountain climber is required to work fairly rapidly in the placement of each chock, and it is therefore important that one not be required to make a decision as to the specific configuration of the chock to be employed in each case.
In addition to the mountain climbing chocks referred to above which are presently commercially available, chocks have been devised for other uses, such as, vehicle chocks or leveling devices. Representative of such chocks are those disclosed in U.S. Pat. to Corson No. 2,954,101 which is directed to a generally wedge-shaped chock for vehicle wheels; Stonhaus No. 3,661,229 which also pertains to a wheel-positioning block employing generally triangular segments; and Feuerer No. 3,467,351 directed to an anchoring device which is adapted to be driven into a crevice but is more in the nature of a piton and intended more in mountain climbing to in effect make its own opening as it is driven into the rock formation.